A Systemic Approach to Managing Sustainable Development in the Fuel and Energy and Transport and Logistics Sectors Within the Regional Economy of Russia: An ESG Perspective

The research focuses on defining the ESG perspective in implementing a systemic approach to managing the sustainable development of the fuel and energy (FES) and transport and logistics sectors (TLS) in regions, using the regional economy of Russia as an example. The research is based on empirical data from the top 15 regions of Russia, which were leaders in the national ESG ranking in 2023. Through correlation analysis, the authors justify the preference for systemic management of sustainable development in the fuel and energy and transport and logistics sectors in Russian regions because this approach generates a more pronounced effect, reflected in the improvement of regions’ positions in the ESG ranking. The authors conducted the regression analysis to develop an econometric model that revealed the causal relationships between the implementation of management measures in these sectors and the sustainable development of a region’s economic system. This model identified a Pareto-optimal combination of selected management measures, ensuring the full sustainability of Russian regions by 2030. The main conclusion of this research is that the sustainable development of regions in Russia is achieved through the comprehensive implementation of management measures aimed at increasing the turnover of organizations in the fuel and energy sector, boosting turnover in the transport and logistics sector, and attracting investments into fixed capital in both sectors. This led to the formulation of scientific principles for a systemic approach to managing the sustainable development of these sectors in Russia’s regional economy, with theoretical significance in advancing management tools for implementing the ESG agenda in regions. The proposed recommendations for realizing the ESG perspective on the sustainable development of regional economic systems in Russia by 2030, within the framework of Pareto optimization, can enhance the management practices of regional fuel and energy and transport and logistics sectors in Russia. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.